The Hellfire Club [Paperback]

Daniel P. Mannix (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Underground Classic | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

The compelling story of the rise and fall of a shocking secret society. In the ruined abbeys and elaborately decorated caves of England, the notorious Hellfire Club help meetings that shocked and terrified the countryside. London madams scoured the city for young girls to supply the club. Rakes flocked to meetings. Yet it was typical of late eighteenth century England that the club's members included famous men from the worlds of art and politics, even the then Prime Minister. The list of members could almost be mistaken for the "honours list" of the most eminent men of the day and when news of the clubs activities leaked out, it caused the biggest political scandal in British history. Brilliant, perverse, equally capable of elaborately obscene jests and the intricacies of paliamentary politics, the members of the Hellfire Club were the most astonishing men of their time. Since it's inception over two hundred years ago, the record of their revels has fascinated and repulsed the world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel P. Mannix is the legendary author of THE HELLFIRE CLUB.

Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: I Books (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743413156
• ISBN-13: 978-0743413152
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #697,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Light and amusing read..., May 3, 2001

By 

bookjunkiereviews (India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hellfire Club (Paperback)

This short book is about one of the stranger institutions that developed in 18th-century England, the notorious Hellfire club founded by a young baronet and some other prominent men. This book does a good job of explaining the reasons for founding the club, and in outlining some of the personalities that made up the club. Briefly put, although the club was mainly about sexual excesses (in rites expressing the strong anti-Catholicism of the founders and of 18th century English aristocracy in general), several members of the club were also very important in English politics, if not adept politicians. Two of the latter kind are the fourth earl of Sandwich (best known for creating the sandwich) and the earl of Bute (the Prime Minister and the lover of George III's mother). But among the less known members were John Wilkes (a radical) and several prominent authors.

I won't go into the history of the club, except to say that what made it so interesting to contemporaries was not so much the sexual and other practices of the members (relatively routine for those days among the aristocracy), but rather the fact that the club actively sought to obtain political power for its members - and that the founder Sir Francis Dashwood (later a baron) created some rather memorable features on his estate.

The problem I have with the book is that it is basically a light entertaining read, but without any sources whatsover for its many anecdotes and other details. There is also absolutely no index, so if you are interested in a particular character, you have to find your own way through the book. I was looking at the most recent 2001 edition (a good bargain at the price), and the original editions might have this information and more. From the point of view of someone looking for light reading about the period, this rates four to four and a half stars. For someone looking for more detailed information (with sources and acknowledgements), there is more information available elsewhere although not in such a nice package. I therefore give it three stars.

Some nice touches - details about club life in London, the descriptions of Sir Francis's estate (now owned by the National Trust), the quick vignettes of the main characters/founders.

Some problems - the lack of an index, the lack of any sources or any bibliography (even in an afterword), some minor errors such as the claim that Sir Francis was "made" a baron. He in fact inherited a barony (the ancient Barony Le Despencer, now held by the Viscounts Falmouth), and at best, he petitioned the Crown to acknowledge him as Baron. This is a slightly different situation.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Light and entertaining introduction, October 10, 2001

By 

Chris B (Detroit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hellfire Club (Paperback)

This book serves as a very interesting and entertaining introduction into the topic; very fun reading, and provocative in a few of its statements.

Right off the bat, it should be obvious to the reader that this is not a serious analytical or academic study of the topic, but more of an overview and a baptism into the subject it treats. There are no citations, as other reviewers have mentioned. That is perhaps a downside to the book. No indices, citations, or tables of contents tells any reader from the start that this book is not trying to create a reputation for itself as a definitive reference work.

This book itself should be read for entertainment purposes, and as a teaser to draw a reader into the topic. If you're looking for a definitive history and unbiased reference and academic treatment of the subject, look elsewhere. But if you have no idea of the Hell-Fire Club in the mid 1700's involving Sir Francis Dashwood, John Wilkes, the Earl of Sandwich among others, this will definitely whet your appetite.

This book does include many references (not in an academic manner, mind you) that give a reader some insight into the rumors and myths surrounding the club scene of the 1700's and some of what life was like in England during those times. It took me a day to read this book, and I don't count it a wasted day. Fascinating reading, the book itself is well-written in an easily readable style. Names are mentioned and subjects touched on in a way to provide the reader, should he or she so choose, with the names and subjects to look into and do some more investigative reading. I know that I will.

And the cover is cool too. ...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hellfire Francis, September 24, 2004

By 

Boyd Rice (denver, co.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hellfire Club (Paperback)

This popular paperback was most people's introduction to Francis Dashwood & The Hellfire Club. A painting of Dashwood still hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in London. He was a rake, a libertine, & a man who most likely colluded with Ben Franklin to help create the US of A. Franklin told friends he was going to a "Franciscan" retreat, while participating in debauchery at Dashwood's Hellfire Abbey at High Whycombe. Back at home, he preached the virtue of clean living in his Poor Richard's Almanac.